Category Archives: Providence

Today Providence College announced Keno Davis as the 14th coach in Friars’ history. To say we are excited about this hire would be an understatement. Davis meets just about every criteria we wanted in the next coach — defensive-minded, smart, adaptable, energetic, charismatic and young. There are minor questions (can he or his staff recruit; is one year as a head coach enough time at the helm), none of which worry us with a man who was recently named the AP National Coach of the Year and is the definition of a basketball lifer. Today is a day for PC fans to celebrate — there is joy, hope and optimism again in Friartown. The cloud has been lifted.

This is what’s known in the corporate world as a public relations nightmare.

Those who have followed the… wait, shit, this isn’t Jim Larranaga again. We got rejected by another mid-major coach? Wow, talk about a bad couple of weeks for Providence hoops. Is there a panic button somewhere around here to press?

UMass head man Travis Ford (circled above) spurned the opportunity to take over Providence’s program, and it leaves PC still searching for a coach a month after Tim Welsh was canned.

Now that we’ve had a few days to digest the Larranaga decision, and the landscape has changed for other coaching openings, it’s time to reassess where Providence stands in its coaching search. Bob Driscoll has a second chance to investigate some coaches that should have been in the mix from the start, as well as pursue a few interesting new names that have recently surfaced. As always, there are candidates we hope Driscoll avoids like the plague as well. After the jump, we rank and break down the 10 most likely choices to be the Friars next head coach.

This is what’s known in the corporate world as a public relations nightmare.

Those who have followed the Jim Larranaga situation and know his story understand that, at 58 years old, he’s in a comfortable situation at George Mason that he built from scratch. Why embark on a drastic career change when you’re only a few years away from retirement? His heart and home is in northern Virginia, and that’s all the reason he needs to stay.

But facts are facts: Providence just got rejected by a mid-major coach who also happens to be an alumnus of the school.

So Anthony Grant may be perfect for PC, but since it takes two to tango, Bob Driscoll would have to convince Grant that PC is the right fit for him. So, Bob, get out your plaid jacket, slick back your hair, and make liked a used car salesman while you give the following sales pitch…

While we realize Grant is unlikely to be the next coach at Providence for numerous reasons, we will still make the case why the union makes sense for both sides. First up is what should make Grant appealing to Bob Driscoll.

Now that an exhilarating weekend of March Madness is behind us, we can return to our depressing lives as Friar fans. Then again, we guess things aren’t quite so depressing — after all, we’re about to turn the page on a new era in Friar hoops.

But who will be the face of that new era? We’ve already discussed those who won’t be that face — “The Untouchables” and “The Odd Men Out” — but now we move to a group that just might contain PC’s next head man. Read on to find out more.